I am encouraged everytime I see an article about breast cancer because it means awareness is increasing and that more people are writing about it.

Tiffany Harms, Women's Health columnist and Leisure Editor for The Summer Evergreen, published this article on June 9th and has graciously given me permission to post it on Positive Hope. I hope you'll enjoy it and pass it on.

Breast cancer facts you should know

Tiffany Harms

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Breast cancer has always been on my mind. My grandmother had it and she survived, but only after a mastectomy – a surgery that removes the entire breast. But for something that seems so threatening and imminent, not to mention close to home, I admit that I know next to nothing about it. So if you’re hopelessly lost in the sea of things that can and will kill you, hopefully this will provide some direction about what you actually need to be worrying about. When it comes to your breasts, anyway. So for starters, what is breast cancer? According to the Susan B. Komen for the Cure's web site, komen.org, “Breast cancer is a type of cancer where cells in the breast tissue divide and grow without the normal control.” This rampant cell growth can damage healthy tissues, thus making you sick. The best way to lower your risk of dying from breast cancer is early detection. You can do this at home with the self breast self-exam, but mammography is viewed as the best-overall screening tool according to komen.com.

In addition to detection, it is also important to know about what does and does not increase your risk of developing breast cancer. Breastcancer.org offers a great section all on the myths of breast cancer in addition to anything else you could ever want or need to know on the subject. Probably the biggest myth out there is that breast cancer only affects older women. According to the site, your chances of developing breast cancer do increase as you get older, but from birth to age 39 you still have a 1 in 231 chance of getting breast cancer. The risk over the course of your entire lifetime is 1 in 7.

Another popular myth is that you’re safe from breast cancer if it doesn't run in your family. “About 80% of women who get breast cancer have no known family history of the disease. Increasing age – just the wear and tear of living – is the biggest single risk factor for breast cancer. For those women who do have a family history of breast cancer, your risk may be elevated a little, a lot, or not at all,” states the site.

Although you can’t remove your risk completely, breastcancer.org suggests life changes you can make to reduce your risk and improve your health in general.

First of all, (you’ve never heard this before) stop smoking. It is a definite risk factor in breast cancer in addition to a slew of other diseases. There are now tons of free programs offered to you in an effort to help you quit such as the online cessation program through the American Lung Association. Second, exercise. “Research has shown that five hours of exercise a week may lower the risk of breast cancer. Over time, exercise may be able to lower the estrogen levels in your body. With less estrogen around, there is less stimulation of breast cell growth, which is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer,” the site suggests.

Third, try to maintain a healthy weight. Apparently, there are several reasons why overweight women might be at higher risk for breast cancer. One of the main reasons is the more extra fat cells you have, the more extra estrogen your produce. Because estrogen is the hormone responsible for breast cell growth, any extra in your system could stimulate your cells to become cancerous. Fourth, as somewhat mentioned above, try and avoid prolonged exposure to estrogen. Situations such as starting your period young, going through menopause late or never having a full-term pregnancy can cause your body to produce estrogen over too long a period of time. Surprisingly enough, alcohol consumption also has an effect on your estrogen levels. According to breastcancer.org, consuming more than two alcoholic drinks a week can limit your liver’s ability to regulate your blood estrogen levels. Of course a healthy diet is also a great tool for reducing your risk. Try to reduce your exposure to anything that isn’t supposed to be in your food such as pesticides and extra hormones. Finally, you should make an investment in your future. By donating to breast cancer charities and research projects, you are directly benefiting yourself and any other woman you know by getting us all a little closer to defeating the number one cancer found in women.

 

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